IN THIS ISSUE...

FROM THE PRESIDENT

• Plan for Jobs 
• President's jobs plan to repair schools and keep educators in classrooms
• What about Nebraska?  
• Extra Standard Review Dates
• Important District Dates to Remember 

MEMBER RELATIONS 

• Probationary Teacher Training 
• Let's Get Organized
• Appraisal Update
• Classroom Grants Available
• Membership!!   
• Earn incentives for signing up members!! 

COMMUNICATION

• NSEA Legislative Update 
• 2011-2012 Salary Schedule Amended
• Thank You LEA Negotiations and Leadership!   

• Shredding Event
• Harvest of Books  

Calendar

• • FR Council September 15
  • October 1, 2011
  • Probationary Teacher Training
  • Shredding Event
  • Harvest of Books
  • October 1-16th

SAVE WITH MEMBER BENEFITS   

• Camp Bow Wow 
• Honey Baked Ham Specials 
• Summer Loan Special Extended!!
• LPS Employees CREDIT CU open at 5625 O Street

                               LEA President, Jenni Absalon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                    CONTACT: Sara Robertson
September 8, 2011                                                                                   (202) 822-7823, srobertson@nea.org 

President's jobs plan to repair schools and keep educators in classrooms  Initiative will keep students learning, educators working  

WASHINGTON- In tonight's speech to a Joint Session of Congress, President Obama unveiled his American Jobs Act and further underscored his belief that investing in the American middle class is the surest path to economic recovery.

"President Obama clearly understands that quality education is the key to our nation's future. He's putting America's unemployed construction workers back on the job to help modernize our aging K-12 schools and community colleges," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "We are pleased and encouraged that the President continues demonstrate his commitment to the success of all students by helping to make sure they have  the best possible learning environment-a key element of quality education."   

"Obama's plan to create jobs acknowledges a backlog of repairs in our nation's 100,000 public schools. As budget funds continue to dwindle, many school districts have been forced to put maintenance on the back burner. In many schools, students are subject to buildings that have poor air quality, unsafe drinking water and inadequate safety systems, including fire alarms and sprinklers."

 "We've heard from our members across the country as they have been returning to school. They are seeing overcrowded classes, and teachers are concerned about how they can provide every student with a well-rounded education when so many programs have been cut," said Van Roekel. "President Obama is addressing that by including $30 billion in local jobs assistance, which will put educators back where they belong - in their classrooms preparing their students to succeed."    "Unemployment isn't just an economic issue - it's an education issue," said Van Roekel. "Our members have seen firsthand the devastating impact unemployment is having on our communities and our schools. Too many of our students are coming to schools hungry and without the basic supplies they need as moms and dads struggle to make ends meet."    "Tonight, President Obama delivered a simple and powerful message to Congress and to the American people - it's time to put partisan bickering aside and get our country back to work.  There is nothing more urgent for Congress to act on than this plan to create jobs and boost our economy and create opportunity for the nation's children.  Our members are behind this initiative and will raise their voices in support to Congress, who will hopefully put politics aside and make passing this its priority," said Van Roekel.     

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 The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

THE AMERICAN JOBS ACT: IMPACT FOR Nebraska

The American people understand that the economic crisis and the deep recession weren't created overnight and won't be solved overnight. The economic security of the middle class has been under attack for decades. That's why President Obama believes we need to do more than just recover from this economic crisis - we need to rebuild the economy the American way, based on balance, fairness, and the same set of rules for everyone from Wall Street to Main Street.  We can work together to create the jobs of the future by helping small business entrepreneurs, by investing in education, and by making things the world buys. The President understands that to restore an American economy that's built to last we cannot afford to outsource American jobs and encourage reckless financial deals that put middle class security at risk.

To create jobs, the President unveiled the American Jobs Act - nearly all of which is made up of ideas that have been supported by both Democrats and Republicans, and that Congress should pass right away to get the economy moving now. The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans. And it would do so without adding a dime to the deficit. The American Jobs Act has five components:

1. Tax Cuts to Help America's Small Businesses Hire and Grow

• The President's plan will cut the payroll tax in half to 3.1% for employers on the first $5 million in wages, providing broad tax relief to all businesses but targeting it to the 98 percent of firms with wages below this level. In Nebraska, 40,000 firms will receive a payroll tax cut under the American Jobs Act.

2. Putting Workers Back on the Job While Rebuilding and Modernizing America

• The President's plan includes $50 billion in immediate investments for highways, transit, rail and aviation, helping to modernize an infrastructure that now receives a grade of "D" from the American Society of Civil Engineers and putting hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job. Of the investments for highway and transit modernization projects, the President's plan will make immediate investments of at least $247,700,000in Nebraska that could support a minimum of approximately 3,200 localjobs.
• The President is proposing to invest $35 billion to prevent layoffs of up to 280,000 teachers, while supporting the hiring of tens of thousands more and keeping cops and firefighters on the job. These funds would help states and localities avoid and reverse layoffs now, and will provide $176,100,000 in funds to Nebraska to support up to 2,800 educator and first responder jobs.
• The President is proposing a $25 billion investment in school infrastructure that will modernize at least 35,000 public schools - investments that will create jobs, while improving classrooms and upgrading our schools to meet 21^st century needs.  Nebraska will receive $106,700,000 in funding to support as many as 1,400 jobs.
• The President is proposing to invest $15 billion in a national effort to put construction workers on the job rehabilitating and refurbishing hundreds of thousands of vacant and foreclosed homes and businesses. Nebraska could receive about $20,000,000 to revitalize and refurbish local communities, in addition to funds that would be available through a competitive application.
• The President's plan proposes $5 billion of investments for facilities modernization needs at community colleges. Investment in modernizing community colleges fills a key resource gap, and ensures these local, bedrock education institutions have the facilities and equipment to address current workforce demands in today's highly technical and growing fields. Nebraska could receive $21,400,000 in funding in the next fiscal year for its community colleges.

3. Pathways Back to Work for Americans Looking for Jobs.

• Drawing on the best ideas of both parties and the most innovative states, the President is proposing the most sweeping reforms to the unemployment insurance (UI) system in 40 years help those without jobs transition to the workplace. This could help put the 15,000 long-term unemployed workers in Nebraska back to work.
• Alongside these reforms, the President is reiterating his call to extend unemployment insurance, preventing 4,000 people looking for work in Nebraska from losing their benefits in just the first 6 weeks.  And, across the country, the number saved from losing benefits would triple by the end of the year.
• The President is proposing a new Pathways Back to Work Fund to provide hundreds of thousands of low-income youth and adults with opportunities to work and to achieve needed training in growth industries. Pathways Back to Work could place 300 adults and 1,200 youths in jobs in Nebraska.

4. Tax Relief for Every American Worker and Family

•  The President's plan will expand the payroll tax cut passed last December by cutting workers payroll taxes in half next year. A typical household in Nebraska, with a median income of around $50,000, will receive a tax cut of around $1,550.

5. Fully Paid for as Part of the President's Long-Term Deficit Reduction Plan.

To ensure that the American Jobs Act is fully paid for, the President will call on the Joint Committee to come up with additional deficit reduction necessary to pay for the Act and still meet its deficit target. The President will, in the coming days, release a detailed plan that will show how we can do that while achieving the additional deficit reduction necessary to meet the President's broader goal of stabilizing our debt as a share of the economy.

 Important Dates to Remember  

Classroom Grants Available                     

Opportunities for Educators, Students, Schools, & Communities

GRANTS AVAILABLE---Click Here

Happening Now   

NSEA Legislative Update 

NEA Education Votes

Keep Up to Date on education Issues----Click Here

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NSEA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE- September 7, 2011

Retirement Hearings

The Legislature's Retirement Committee is holding public hearings on three important interim studies that deal with pension plans for public employees.

•        September 26, 9:00 AM - Metro CC, South Omaha Campus, ITC Bldg., Room 120

o   Joint public hearing by Business & Labor Committee and Retirement Committee.

o   LR215 and LR216 address defined benefit pension plans of political subdivisions and collective bargaining agreements.

o   These interim studies grew out of concerns about Omaha fire fighters pension.

•        November 22, 9:00 AM - State Capitol, Room 1525

o   Retirement Committee hearing on LR210.

o   LR210 calls for a review of the funding needs, benefits, contributions, and administration of the retirement plans managed by the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement System - school employees, state patrol, judges, and counties.  The Omaha School Employees Retirement plan may also be included.

Senator Lavon Heidemann's LB680 would close the defined benefit plan for school employees and open a new cash balance plan for new school employees.  Further, there are discussions in Omaha about closing the fire fighters defined benefit plan and opening a defined contribution plan for new hires.

It is critical that NSEA and NSEA-Retired leaders and members actively participate in these ongoing discussions to protect the current defined benefit plan for school employees.

NSEA-Retired will organize retired teachers to participate in these committee hearings on behalf of their active teacher colleagues whom will be in the classroom teaching.

For more information contact: 

NSEA Government Relations:  Cathy Schapmann (402) 475-7611 or (800) 742-0047 or

Jerry Hoffman (402) 560-0722, Karen Kilgarin (402) 432-7776, Brian Mikkelsen (402) 432-3397.

Stand up and act to protect your retirement egg!

Probationary Teacher Training

Earn a $25 Stipend for Attending 

LEA MEMBERSHIP ENROLLMENT-----Earn Incentives 

Good News! We have an updated salary schedule for 2011-2012 which reflects an additional increase to your salary!  The dedicated Educators Health Alliance Board of Directors manages the health insurance plan for 72,000 educators in the state of Nebraska. Because of the prudent management of the plan the EHA Board declared a month premium holiday as well as a 0% increase in health insurance premiums.  Your LEA Negotiations Team and Leadership negotiated the additional salary increase using the health insurance savings.   

 Click Here to View the LEA/LPS Professional Agreement 

Please take the time to know your contract.  The 2010-2011 salary schedule is on page 40 of the agreement. The amended salary schedule below will replace the salary schedule currently on page 41.   

2011-2012 Amended Salary Schedule---Click Here  

Once in ICE click on Salary Notification link

Below is an explanation regarding the additional money in the salary schedule.    

Salary Schedule Changes for 2011-2012

• Article XII: Fringe Benefits 12.1 reads in part: "The 2011-2012 district contribution rates were computed based upon an assumed 8% PPO premium increase in 2011-2012. If the 2011-2012 PPO rate increase is less than 8%, the district contribution will be recalculated as per the spreadsheet KB 5-10 Rev 09-10 Teachers Neg Various Models.xls. The savings in district contribution will be distributed evenly by FTE with an adjustment made to each cell within the schedule."

Therefore, because of this language, the savings generated by the 0% increase in EHA rates, is now reflected in the attached and amended salary schedule which indicates the increase in salary for all individuals above what was originally agreed upon for 2011-2012.

Other Information for 2011-2012

• In December, 2011, all members in the EHA Plan will have a premium holiday. This means that you will NOT pay a premium for the month of December. This not only reflects the 0% in premium rates but the over-all financial stability of the EHA plan, so much so that members of the EHA plan can actually skip a month's premium. The district's contribution to members' premiums for December have also been added to the salary schedule for all members of the bargaining unit.

• As you know, the Nebraska Legislature changed the contribution rate teachers will make to the state retirement plan. This increase will equal 0.06% increase. This additional contribution to the retirement plan, under normal circumstances, would mean a reduction in members' take home pay, but because of the two health care cost saving added to the salary schedule through agreement between LEA and LPS, members will still see an increase in salary for 2011-2012 above what was initially negotiated.

Harvest of Books, Inc.

Founded in 1997 by Dan Studer, former Lincoln Education Association President, the Harvest of Books Inc., is a program developed to help promote a life-long love of reading for children. The Harvest of Books is sponsored by the Lincoln Education Association. KFOR 1240 AM radio is a promotional sponsor.

The goal of the Harvest of Books, Inc. is to provide every first grader in the Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln Parochial and Private Schools with a minimum of one new book of their own to take home, to enjoy, and to share with their family. Since its beginning, Harvest of Books has provided over 150,000 brand new books to the children of Lincoln. In 2010 7,066 first and second graders took home 10,690 books in 55 public, private, and parochial schools. In addition, the Lincoln City Libraries donate a book bag and Raising Cane's donates bookmarks to every first and second grader.

During an annual, designated period of time near the first two weeks of October, community members have the opportunity to buy a book for a first or second grade student.   Community members may go to any participating bookstore in Lincoln, choose a children's book, and purchase it at the discounted price the bookstore offers (25%) as part of the Harvest program. The bookstores then insert a nameplate within the book's cover upon which individuals can write their name or company on the nameplate as the donor of the book(s). The bookstore sets aside the Harvest books at their store and volunteers from the Lincoln Education Association collect and distribute the books to first and second graders throughout the public, parochial and private schools sometime during the week of Thanksgiving.

Individuals who prefer to send a donation for the purchase of Harvest books and leave the shopping to LEA volunteers may do so by sending a check to the "Harvest of Books" in care of the Lincoln Education Association, 4920 Normal Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68506 at any time throughout the year.

Purpose of the Contribution:

Donations to the Harvest of Books go directly toward the purchasing of books for the first and second graders of the Lincoln Public, Private and Parochial Schools.

Budget for the Organization and this Project:

The number of first and second grade Lincoln students varies from year to year and LEA relies completely on donations. The Association's goal is to always be able to provide, at a minimum, one book for each first grader. When donations allow, LEA strives to place a new book into the hands of every second grader's hands, too, as part of the annual harvest.

Shredding Event

October 1, 2011

10 AM to Noon 

LEA East Parking Lot

Bring all the paper you have to shred! 

$$$$

Donations accepted for Harvest of Books